Construction elements, such as pipes, tubular piles and the like, are used in many works, such as for example for the fixing of marine platforms to the sea bed, for the construction of well casings, for foundations and the like.
In such structures, it is necessary to have available tubular components of considerable length, greater than the maximum commercially available or transportable length; for this purpose, therefore, a number of tubular sections must be connected together on the jobsite in order to achieve the desired dimension of the tubular element required.
The mechanical joining of lengths of tubes may be carried out by means of various types, which must provide a rigid joint capable of reproducing the mechanical strength characteristic of the tubular element in order to guarantee structural continuity.
At present, various types of joint are known. They can provide for the construction of the joint by mutual screwing together of adjacent lengths, or by coupling them together by elastic deformation. Such operations require the use of complex equipment, which shall provide for the suspension and rotation of one of the pipe lengths relative to the other, in order to obtain the joint by a screw joint or which shall produce the necessary loading for obtaining the coupling required by elastic deformations. In both these cases, the operations carried out demand considerable time and govern the speed of execution of the entire assembly and installation operation.